A ribbon cutting ceremony was held Friday, Sept. 18, in celebration of the reopening of the Capital City Job Center located in Jefferson City. The center, previously located at 1716 Four Seasons Drive, was severely damaged by the tornado that ripped through parts of Jefferson City on May 23, 2019. The center is reopening in partnership with the Missouri Office of Workforce Development (OWD), the Local Workforce Development Board, and local elected officials.
Jefferson City Mayor Carrie Tergin, Commissioner of Higher Education Zora Mulligan, Director of Workforce Development Dr. Mardy Leathers, and Central Workforce Development Board Chair T.R. Dudley spoke during the ceremony.
“As Missouri’s unemployment increased this year due to COVID-19 layoffs, we know this is a time in history where our work is even more important,” said Mulligan. “I appreciate our staff and the local workforce partners who have worked to help us cross the finish line on this grand reopening.”
Full service Missouri Centers are designed to be a one-stop shop for displaced workers and those looking for employment or career change. Job Center staff provide assistance with finding training opportunities to develop new skills, resume writing, job interview prep, unemployment insurance job search activities, and connection with other state agencies and resources. The Capital City Job Center will house around 15 staff, including Office of Workforce Development team members, Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) partners, and an OWD veteran’s employment representative.
“This is an exciting day that we’ve been working toward for a long time,” said Dr. Leathers. “There are a lot of people out of work right now who have never interacted with the public workforce system before. Our staff are here and ready to help displaced workers find training and employment opportunities.”
Displaced workers may be eligible to receive free training vouchers of up to $4,000 to skill up or retrain. Job Center staff are prepared to assist those receiving unemployment benefits with their required weekly job search activities, training opportunities, and career services.
All Missouri Job Centers closed to the public in March due to COVID-19. Reopening Missouri Job Centers in a safe and responsible manner has been an important part of the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development’s Return Strong initiative to help Missourians skill up and get back to work. As of this week, all Job Centers are now back open to the public.
Although Missouri Job Centers are open, it’s important that customers call before visiting. Job Centers may close down unexpectedly due to COVID-19 exposure. Centers will adhere to social distancing and other protocols for the safety of staff and visitors. Job Centers will follow local health guidelines, including mandatory mask ordinances in cities and counties with the restrictions. Job seekers and displaced workers can still access services by phone at 1-888-728-5627, or online at jobs.mo.gov.
Learn more about Return Strong at https://jobs.mo.gov/return-strong. Find all of Missouri’s full-service Job Centers at https://jobs.mo.gov/job-centers.
About the Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development: The department works to empower Missourians with the skills and education needed for success. More information about MDHEWD can be found at https://dhewd.mo.gov or on Facebook and Twitter @MoDHEWD.